The Kenya Wildlife Service has a 'shoot to kill' policy -- rangers aren't just armed, they're also authorized to kill any suspected poachers who enter Kenya's national parks. WATCH NEXT: Inside Colombia's Temple of Lucifer - bit.ly/2mtBlGt
VICE What are you suggesting, leaving the elephant die? They tried education, they set borders for the park but people only think about the money. They kill elephant for personal gain
With all due respect to VICE, i really miss how they used to build up a story and put all the pieces together. Quite frankly this is the shallowest way of examining the issue. Not once did i hear 'human wildlife conflict' or 'land politics' or the prevalence of firearms in Northern Kenya or all the other issues that affect the relationship between communities that live around national parks and wildlife reserves in Kenya. This does not excuse the alleged offenses of kidnapping and murder, but as per their new standard, VICE go for the sexy headline and actually miss the complex and gritty part of the story to appeal to their widening and diversifying viewership who take every video on this channel at face value without interrogating the systemic (and granted, harder to portray) issues.
I am from Kenya and I can tell you for free that although KWS, Leakey and his team have played a vital role in the conservation of wildlife and fighting poachers, there are some rogue officers in the service as well but lets just say the government thinks the end justifies the means. Extrajudicial killings however are NOT acceptable. They should strike a balance between protecting our wildlife but also protecting human life.
Arming people gives them power and authority, that's why it's so important to check and recheck the guys you're putting in those groups. If they're going to so unforgiving in their approach of shoot first they should at least put up better barriers and markers to let people know they're entering an area where they could be shot.
Feel ya there, bud. An anti poacher group somehow wound up on my various feeds and recruits actively from all over. I considered going but decided to try and get a better idea of the situation first. Seems like a lot of poor locals trying to eat and few rich killers trying to sell. Im not willing to shoot a guy in his back yard for trying to feed his family. Peace and love from Canmore, Alberta
@@MtnTow That truly is where the conundrum lies: How do you judge a man with hungry children, when a solution to his problem is a single desperate act? I challenge anyone to be subjected to the test, and see what side they come out on. On the other hand: There are only so many elephant, rhino, gorilla, etc. left. Once they’re gone, they’re gone. The root of the problem lies with the black market itself. Ancient Asian Medicine, with no scientific facts to support it, is what drives this loss and suffering. More money than sense. Gluttony, vanity, and GREED. Gorilla hands, elephant ivory, rhino horn, leopard testicles, or whatever. As long as there’s a market for these things, it will only become more lucrative as the supply dwindles. They won’t stop until they have killed the very last one of any species, because that one brings the biggest payday. Anyone caught dealing in endangered species deserves a death sentence, IMOP. There’s plenty of humans on the planet. Very few of the endangered species left. We haven’t earned the right to be considered special. We’ve abused our apex status.
these guys carry guns and machetes if they swing/shoot you're well within your right to defend yourself they destroy species for nothing but chinese herbal medicine juju
that ending is fucking incredible... *interview turns sour and Leakey starts getting agitated ignoring questions and claims* "is there a human price to pay for human conversation?" "of course there is.... idiot" like a goddamn movie - props vice
No, not really. Very suggestive from the get go. Just because teary eyed Fatima says her Mohamed was a "business man" and SURELY no poacher don't mean shit. The music, the intonation, the line of questioning, all packed with an underlying sense of direction. Trying to guide the viewer towards a specific opinion, instead of reporting factually. And Vice missing the reality check at the end: "Is there a human cost to poaching" - "Of course there is" There always is when two armed parties with opposing interests meet. Ever heard of Nagasaki?
Wow Goldencheese... I totally did not get that impression from the video at all. it is the job of journalist to tell the story of both sides. Obviously because of the world's support of it, the KWS's side of the story has been heard for over 20 years. I do not see how they reported anything that wasn't factual. I came out at the end of this with the same opinion I had before, that we definitely need to protect our wildlife not just for the sake of the animals but because the ivory trade funds terrorist groups. I also believe "shoot to kill policies" always lead to corruption and that the arresting of poachers is always the better outcome. Not only do you gain the ability to get information that may lead to more poachers, but it also takes the burden of killing someone off the shoulders of those who are protecting wildlife and places it correctly in the hands of the judicial systems. If you believe in someone's guilt to the point you are willing to take their life, then you should have no issue proving that guilt in a court of law. If you want to execute him for that crime, I'm ok with that, but lets not turn our protectors, into killers because killing someone, regardless if you feel justified in doing so, eats at person soul and ultimately corrupts. Also, if you want to maintain credibility, maybe you don't compare this to Nagasaki. I find it ironic how you say "vice missed the reality check at the end" when it seems you missed the reality check of the opposing viewpoints to your own beliefs and therefore classify them as not being factual yet you presented no proof to show they are lying. If you have no evidence to show they lied and Vice isn't showing any evidence that factually proves they are telling the truth then logically, the position only position to take is one that is open to these allegations yet skeptical of their credibility. Vice did a fair job of presenting it that way. Don't be scurred of opposing views, I promise ya, they'll only ever reaffirm your beliefs or prove them wrong, either way you'll be better for it.
no, more like sensationalism at its best. This documentary swept over a broad range of problems affecting kenya including a very quickly expanding human population, corruption at its highest in the judiciary system, human wildlife conflict which leads to animosty between local communities and inter-ethnic racism. They also did not have much show time with rangers in the area. Though I am not a massive fan of the Kenya Wildlife Service this kind of sensationalism "lets put someone crying in front of a camera" crap designed to pull heartstrings brings away from the fact that 10s of thousands of people die in Africa alone trying to protect wildlife that is quickly diminishing due to human ignorance and greed.
Exactly what I was thinking dude. It felt more like epic conversation involving Anthony Hopkins (the Oldtard in the video) and Jimmi Simpson (the interviewer) from WestWorld.
From Leakeys reaction it seems like he knows something about the disappearances, but I don't believe he was apart of it. This doesn't take away from all the good the KWS done though
7.5 Billion Humans.... There is only one way to protect wildlife assets. Thats by force unfortunately. Holding hands and signing is nice, but that shit doesn't save wild animals lives.
Tell the journalists family that. What was his crime trying to find out the truth about a corrupt organization in his own country. Hey but fuck it right there's 7.5 billion people out there it's fine .I hope they close your funeral with that statement
How shady was that ending, just as he got to the point of the conversation the old guy just starting looking with the evilest look ever and starts calling him an idiot and admits that there is a human price like he dug up something that's not supposed to be dug up.
well i mean obviously there is a human price to pay for animal conservation. they speak of KWS members killed every year in fire fights with poachers. (there was no mention of how many poachers were killed, nor does this expound upon the REASONS people poach ((likely: poverty, lack of education, lack of opportunity, and maybe just a straight up desire to feed their fucking family)) the question was meant to be provocative and if you dont analyze it then vice just takes you for a ride in whatever direction they want. The only conclusions that can be drawn from this video *IN MY OPINION* should be 1. KWS has a loose shoot to kill policy that, when in the hands of one or two irresponsible members, can likely cause death of innocent civilians. 2. Many members (whos specific backgrounds and sources of income are not well expressed) of local villages have gone missing, most seemingly without any thorough investigation. what else can we draw from this? idk. i wish i knew.
AS A REPORTER, YOUR JOB IS TO TELL THE "COMPLETE STORY" AND NOT TO TAKE SIDES. AND RIGHT AWAY YOU CAN TELL THE REPORTER IS EMOTIONALY INVESTED ON THE PEOPLE VS. KWS. HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE LOOKING AT THINGS FROM BOTH PARTYS PERSPECTIVE BUT IT WAS SLOPPY AND ONE SIDED PISS POOR EXCUSE FOR A DOCUMENTARY.LEAKY IS RIGHT ON TWO THINGS:1) NO HUMAN LIFE IS ABOVE NATURE.2) THAT REPORTER IS AN ABSOLUTE IDIOT.THE REPORTER IS NOT ONLY RUDE AND UNPROFESSIONAL, BUT ALSO COMPLETELY ONE SIDED. YOU CAN TELL HE IS OUT ON A WITCH HUNT, THIS IDIOT, BASING HIS STORY ON UNVERIFIED TESTIMONIES. AS A REPORTER, YOU HAVE TO BE OBJECTIVE ENOUGH TO LOOK AT BOTH SIDES. IN THIS DOCUMENTARY, HE ONLY ADVOCATED FOR THE PEOPLE WHO COULD HAVE BEEN ATTACKED BY ANY REBEL FORCE OR THUG GROUP (AND THERE ARE MANY IN AFRICA) UNDER THE DISGUISE OF KWS. I'M NOT SAYING KWS IS COMPLETELY INNOCENT, I'M SAYING THE NUMBERS COULD EASILY BE BLOWN UP BY UNSUBSTANTIATED REPORTS. PEOPLE KILL PEOPLE IN AFRICA ALL THE TIME, AND WHEN IN DOUBT, PIN THE BLAME ON THE KWS ALL THE TIME WHY DONT YOU.ALL I CAN SAY TO THE PIECE OF SHIT REPORTER WHO DID THIS PIECE IS DO YOUR FUCKING ASSIGNMENT AND NOT GET EMOTIONALLY INVESTED IN PEOPLES STORY YOU BUFFOON. YOURE ALL OVER THIS PIECE, YOUR HAND PRINTS ARE ALL OVER THIS DOCUMENTARY. Btw, if youre gonna ask the wife of the missing person, if her husband is a poacher, OF COURSE SHES GONNA SAY NO!
I cant believe I'm seeing this after 3 years, but thank you vice, our local media never talks about things like this. We as a poor country suffer under the leadership of our corrupt and ignorant leaders. Thank you for sharing this report.
You know something...FUCK YOU I'm white and we "white people" have plenty of fucking issues and problems as well.....I'm man enough to admit my "white faults" Face facts....there are DIFFERENT traits within these human types...and some of these traits are totALLY fucked up. Uhhhhh How about EXAMINING Africa?? Look how much senseless tribal retarded butchering and violence goes on there... Look at cities like Chicago and Baltimore in the US? Coincidence? NO .........something about how we as groups are wired.... FUCKING DEAL With it and stop pretending we're all the "same"....fucking bullshit
Kenya is incredibly ethnically diverse, but also insanely segregated. The rangers in the parks usually belong to one local tribe. If this tribe has a feud with another they will take extreme action to win. Here we obviously see the Kenyan/Christian rangers abusing their power in an ethnic conflict. Muslims in parts of Kenya are heavily discriminated against. just a reminder. that it has been less than 10 years since the last large ethnic conflict in Kenya.
You almost got it right. Some of the soldiers are from other parts of Kenya but most likely, majority are Christians and some of the soldiers and rangers carrying out the killings are Muslims. The problem is between Kenyan state and Muslim people and not Kenyan “Christians” vs Kenyan Muslims and the extrajudicial killings started recently, in the last 10 years. In daily relations in Kenya, religion is not even factor and there are no religious tensions at all in Kenya. What we have is an increasingly criminal and predatory state. Democracy has ushered in more thuggery and criminality into the political system. Any criminal can contest and win power and criminals know only one way to solve problems. The previous Kenyan president, Moi, was dictator, probably illiterate but he was a man with more decorum than the democratically elected criminals now governing the country.
Julian Kozłowski that is absolute bullshit. Rangers living in the park are community reservists who are drawn from the communities that live in the area. No one tribe makes up the rangers unless the area only has one tribe.
thank you. some of thes people have no clue what they are talking about. the rangers are drawn from local communities mostly. they know the lay of the land and every foxhole a poacher could hide in. this was a bs documentary
@Julian I would like to respect your opinion but you are talking out of your ass. first you invented a whole new conflict,'religious' that bs... as a Kenyan I know thats not true and it never crosses our mind especially in wildlife conservation. probably if it was al-shaabab then religion does play a big role, but in wildlife? thats just ignorant and absurd
Welcome to the club. No different in America. There is a reason it's hidden or more importantly a reason you didn't know. Stop looking at your phone and create relationships and friendships with other people from other areas in your country.
Kenya is brutal... What's worse is most of its citizens(mostly middle class) insist on portraying it as 1st world-ish. The facts are 40% unemployment rate and top 40 poorest nation on earth despite the fact that we have never been to war, we are not land-locked plus we got a decent literacy level.
No doubt westerns are exploiting Kenya in some shady way for natural resources like minerals, systematically the economy of the Kenya has been kept poor.
Omkar Chandra its not just westerners but tribalist corrupt government which doesnt give a crap about northern half of country. They treat many tribes as second class citizens, sometimes they even consider the native tribes in north to be foreigner, they have attempted to deport turkanas from kenya to South Sudan, the same goes with the native Somali tribes who they assume to be refugee from neighbouring somalia and refuse to give them citizenship even though there family has been nomads in kenya for centuries. Also same stories with borana tribes who they have attempted to remove them to ethiopia despite them living in kenya for hundreds of years if not thousands. They don't issue citizenships to the northerners so they dont even know sometimes which pokot/turkana nomad is actually from kenya or south sudan, so they just treat them as foreigners. And use that as an excuse to treat them like second class.
Alfonso chopi Civil servants should earn maximum of 5000 USD and minimum of 300 USD per month. Public and religious jobs are about bettering society not getting rich, how are Kenyans so comfortable with these leaders flaunting their wealth when people are literally starving to death?
I don`t mind going harsh on illigal poachers, it`s either them or the animals go exctinct. Just make sure that innocents are not harmed and that the natives who live there are allowed to remain.
Alec yeeeeah, i get that feeling from time to time too.....then they do some bullshit piece and I remember "oh, that's right...there will be a few good pieces swimming around in a sea of bullshit" you have to plumb the depths to find decent content and you will be covered in bullshit when you're done. it can be a dangerous venture if you happen to not be inoculated against bullshit, I might add.....
bobsagget823 is a good example of a person not being inoculated against bullshit..... ignorance acts a bit like termites, so it's easy to see how far they've spread and how well they have dined. ;-)
"They didnt give us any warnings... They started shooting upwards..." That part of shooting upwards should be a prety clear indication of a warning if you ask me. :D
I am a kenyan. Vice paints a bad picture of the organization. Why can't people just keep away from the parks? Leave the animals alone and nothing will happen to you. Kws are very friendly and more than 100 times on my visits to parks, they have offered rangers and guides to escort me and show me around. They are wonderful people doing a dangerous job, a lot of the poachers are armed like the military and a lot of the funds go into funding terrorists like al-shabaab. That is why i respect the job being done by the wonderful rangers who by their actions save wildlife and also cut funding to terror organizations.
vice keeps making documentaries and articles that do not have much do with investigation or neutral journalism anymore, what is important for vice is they get enough viewers and action
Talk about a false equivalence, squirrel hunting with an expired license that you didn't even notice and going into a national park to kill a rhino or elephant for their ivory are not even fucking close. Some of the people may have been innocent, but someone is killing those animals and I'd bet the guys who spend their lives in those parks trying to protect them have a bit of an idea who it is. I'd like to hear their side of the story since I'm guessing the truth is somewhere in the middle as usual.
Why didn't you interview the executive/operational authorities rather than the chairman of the board... His point about the chairmen not having hands-on insights into the day-to-day operations or authority to change those operations is totally valid.
The ignorance of some of the people commenting is astounding. Yes the KWS is doing an honorable service, but it doesn't mean that since they're doing that service, that they're allowed to also do whatever the hell they want. You can appreciate an organization and also understand that they have limits and aren't above the law. I hope some of these commenters seriously have produced offspring. We have enough cancer in the world.
Dude! I live near a forest. School going kids are raped, killed or infected with aids in the name of conservation. It's easier for you to say in a distance while ignoring the corruption and ignorance in the country. The rangers are compensated for arresting or killing people.
OK, I get the shooting innocent protestors was wrong and immoral by a fuck ton of humanity. But, how the fuck can you devise a mentality of pure innocence for the kidnapped men as if they were not poachers? I think KWS is right on this one and Leakey was on point with *"of course there is......IDIOT"* at the end.
How do you know they were poachers. Did you know them? that's also not the only crimes they committed (conventionally glossing over firing into protesters). Beside its not part of their mandate to go into villages, their job is to protect the reserve not enter villages.
Oh man .... Vice journalists have to endure all the shit from this god forsaken world , i have seen so many videos of vice journalists being treated like shit from the worst kind of people. I get it , poaching is bad , very bad but people shouldn't get hurt , killed , they should be taught what is wrong or bad. Thanks VICE , amazing work and documentaries !
The KWS should be able to act with impunity in the name of conservation. A handful of disappearances among the culture that created the need for the KWS is nothing in comparison to the greater scheme of things. To be concerned is ridiculous. Furthermore attempting to pin the blame of these unfortunate situations on an old man who's been out of the game is disgusting.
So many commenters are missing the point: Shoot to kill is not the problem presented here, the problem is that KWS are overstepping their boundaries without being held accountable by operating outside of national parks.
I'm Kenyan and I believe these are narratives that Kenyans should be telling, instead of relying on Western gonzo media.Keep up Vice, one day we'll be able to tell our stories just like this.
This was a great investigation. One thing that the reporters failed to report is that in every village around national parks, you can find small game poachers. Meat is hard to come by in rural Africa, so going in the park to hunt for monkeys, bush chicken or antelope is the standard. Those small game animals reproduce by the thousands so their survival is not endangered. Seriously, in any country you go, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, tiny villages have those small game poachers. Very few will go for the big animals like elephant or rhino. I guess the KWS just want to kill everyone who even think of poaching
This comments section is full of single minded views that reflect no debate. You want to create actual change in the world ? Then reasonable debate from people who understand issues is the only way forward. I do not claim to know much about this topic but a as a British Kenyan I feel I understand more about the culture and influence in this part of the world than most in this comment section.Before you start to label and make wild claims, try and understand the people who live there. The majority of Kenya's economy come's through agriculture, so what happens in a particularly harsh season such as a drought ?? Something that people of the western world probably do not understand since you can walk to a supermarket and afford food from the state funding the most disadvantaged and poor receive. You try to receive this help in a third world country filled with corruption, bureaucracy and tribal conflict on a political level ! Which in turn isolates communities and families (rather large as I know) this means in some cases poaching might be the only means of a food source or income. Yes other animals like Elephants and Rhino are hunted by locals, meaning they to become branded and treated in the same way as poachers. Before I went on and rambled into an essay the point of this is to highlight, to not be, so FUCKING narrow mined. Stop brandishing people with basic labels, just so you can feel that you understand a complex problem presented to you in a FUCKING 21 minute video that goes into no detail about the nuances of a topic. There are people who study issues like this and don't have a successful answer (my father) so stop being CUNTS.
D Davey so it’s okay for the poachers to go in the reserve hunt down the rhino and shoot it and take the horn off. But like u said they are very poor people so a majority of poachers can not afford guns and ammo. So these low life piece of shits hunt the rhinos and they start hacking at there face has they are screaming in pain and terror because they don’t have good eyesight and the babies are screaming for there mothers. And they hack off half the face and they are still alive and dying slowly while there babies are trying to get comfort from there mother. And the elephants are poisoned, shot but alive and they hack into there face to remove the tusk. I have been hungry and homeless and no we don’t all get free food or help in America. You are on ur own if u r single with no kids. And I live In the city, there is no where to go fishing or hunting for small animals to eat. At least in Africa you can live off the land. Like every other villager in Africa. You can farm and grow food. One key thing I would kill to eat the animal. The piece of shits take the horn and waste the rest. And u let them roam for days to die slowly. And then there babies die a slow death from no food or water. Evil is in Africa and I applaud the shoot to kill policy and the capture of people who poached a animal and was tracked down and taken to pay for the crime. It’s murder. No animal deserves to die like that. We have our rules in America in parts of the country u can hunt deer, bear and small creatures. And fish. Certain times of the year and cannot kill females and babies, only males and can only kill a certain amount a year. You have to use all the parts of the animal except the bowels and stomach. We do not have any extinct animals we hunt and eat.
I personally think it is absurd for those tusks to be burned. Not to mention for all we know, this will were tusks from elephants which died naturally and they have just been collecting them over the decades, as they had stated the collection was from, and used the excuse of poaching to kill off other tribes they were against due to the mixing of Muslim culture into their area and families. This was much like the ivory being chipped in a wood chipper in New York years ago, except the ivory that was chipped up were carvings and statues and rare art of antiquity and different dynasties. They destroyed thw world's heritage. And so they burned the ivory. And regardless of how their death occurred, they are sending a clear message they honor the idea of conservation....but just don't value the animals and the products that come from them at the same time. It can't be that way. I'm quite sure any foreigner would rather they have used the ivory tusks to make small trinkets or sculptures or jewelry etc, and raised money for the communities around the park, or fuck, even the national park itself....that would have been much more respectful than burning the ivory. No matter what bs story they tried to attach to the tusks
I suppose it's a small thing, but I was touched when that correspondent gave the brother-of-the-disappeared a hug when he was bereft at the loss of his brother. I see times in interviews all the time where that would be appropriate, but I imagine the producer is like 'get them crying! get them despondent!' and they don't just do what a good fellow human should do and give a brother a hug. That hug makes up for that distractingly wild hair style the correspondent had during that final Leaky interview.
Leakey: "No, I don't have that power..." _later_ Reporter: "what changed?" Leakey: "I came back" .....so, Leakey claims to not have the power to look into any of these claims and he feels he didn't get adequate evidence suggesting they even happened as the villagers said it did...yet he concedes that similar events have taken place to his knowledge and that he, somehow, has the power to make sure they will happen less and less (meaning: they will still happen, just not as often). seems we have an issue here. either Leakey *has the power to stop these acts from happening like he claim*, in which case, he would *also have the power to prosecute those involved*....or Leakey *doesn't have the power to stop this*, as he also claims, and *his words about these crimes slowing or ending are worthless*. which is it? Leakey acknowledges a sense of impunity within the KWS in the past...which would be him hinting at that being the issue....then he claims that his return and his new appointments changed everything, as if a changing of the guard is somehow the equivalent to a criminal investigation and criminal charges. imagine any other organization acting like this: it's founded and has an extreme 'kill on sight' policy...the founder leaves and the organization begins acting like a paramilitary secret police force...the founder returns, makes an 'upper management' change, then claims that he 'cant help the victims nor does he intent to get them justice but dont worry, it wont happen as often now that he is back'... Leakey a would have to lack all semblance of self awareness if he honestly doesn't understand the serious nature of the controversy around the KWS and, thus, himself. even if he isn't involved, letting this go and doing nothing is also a near criminal action and could lead to more of this kind of behavior as those involved know there is no real repercussions for their actions.
Powerful film. Human rights abuse in the name of conservation - much of it targeting tribal peoples - is shockingly common around the world. People interested in the issue are invited to join Survival International's campaign: www.survivalinternational.org/petitions/tribal-people-the-best-conservationists
but every tom dick and harry will think it's ok to kill elephants to get ivory and sell them for a few bucks.Hope your kid's kids get to see an elephant in the wild someday
It's like when they crushed very beautiful hand carved ivory in New York. Some people spent hundreds of hours carving shit just for it to be crushed and the prices were astronomical. I believe they should have put it all in a museum along with a bunch of information about them going extinct and why you shouldn't purchase it
After seeing this, I believe that KWS and the killings are a matter of stress and frustration for the KWS, I personally think that its admiring that men are willing to die protecting animals. And a human price is to be paid.
that fact that he's refusing to answer questions clearly means that he knows something that he doesn't want the press to get a hold of thus proving many of his points earlier invalid.
"acceptable price"? Why target a animal conservation force and ask them this inane question? Does everyone feel good about themselves after reporting on these "atrocities", all the while wearing clothing made most likely from sweatshops, using digital equipment with components sourced from war torn countries. To think you're doing god's work of journalism by questioning an animal conservation force that takes hardline approach vs. poaching is going to make you look somehow positive is utterly disconnected from reality, especially given the sort of focus this video went for. There's going to be a human cost in any product and services. What's next? The horrible truth of the human cost of being born! Is existence harmful to other people? Join VICE as we find out if being born and living is without human suffering of others in one way or another!
I see a lot of comments where people support the killing of poachers and I see why that stance can sound appealing, however i think the entire point of this story shows, that no matter the nobility of your "cause" when you feel you have the right to take someone's life then it will ultimately lead to corruption. I'm not saying I have an answer cause of course i want to see the poaching stop, not just because of the animal right issue but also because this ivory trade funds terrorist groups like boko haram. However a "shoot to kill" policy is not the way to go about it. Anyone who thinks that its ok to shoot poachers, realize you do so because you believe that the killing of protected animals is morally and ethically wrong. However in the Philippines right now Duterte and his supporters think the same thing about drugs and have killed over 7000 people in their shoot to kill policy. Most of you who think killing poachers is ok probably think that killing people for drugs is not, however you have to understand that the true issue with both policies is you are killing individuals without due process. Idk how you can apprehend poachers while keeping those who protect the animals safe, obviously disarming them would put the poachers at an advantage and I'm not naive enough to think that is acceptable, but there has to be other options. The goal should be arresting poachers, not killing them. If you want to execute them after a trial has proved their guilt, I'm ok with that, but you can't bring someone back from the dead and regardless of intent, obviously people have died who had nothing to do with poaching.
I think what Duterte is doing is great. I was in Philippines not too long ago visiting friends who let me know I could walk anywhere at any time because of what Duterte was doing who they had democratically elected. They said before Duterte they would have to have their men personally escort their women everywhere, especially at night as rapes were common. Now not so much. America does not have a shoot to kill policy with drug dealings. How has that been working out?
I completely understand why people say in the comments that the poachers should be killed, but these people are just looking for money. It's a horrible way to make it but they're just trying to make a living. Most of them probably have families that depend on what small income they do make. The unemployment in Kenya is completely outrageous so I can understand why they do what they do. I'm in no way excusing their actions they re completely disgusting I just think that people should show a little compassion. Hating them won't stop anything and it just adds to the grotesque amount of negativity in the world. There's better ways to discuss ways to fix this in my opinion. I wish the best for the families in this video and especially to Muhammad's wife, and to the poachers in hope that they find a better path
Very interesting video, I never would have questioned that the kws would have been corrupt. Im sure not all of them are corrupt but it gives a bad image for the group.
That investigative journalism is bloody brilliant. You collected all the evidence including that from the culprits (KWS), and confronted the leaders and KWS chairman with hard facts. No wonder Leakey lost his cool when it became apparent that there is a Human Life to Pay for Wildlife Conservation in Kenya. That's a shame.
This report is completey one sided and biased, typical Vice political correctness propaganda. How about you guys do some ACTUAL journalism for once? For example: - The targeted community appears to be muslim. There is a long standing conflict between muslims and the Kenyan state, fueled through the war in neighboring Somalia. Ever thought about investigating into this? - Also did it ever cross your mind that these communities might actually provide sanctuary to poachers? And that the animosity which the KWS has towards those people might be somewhat understandable?
The inherent problem with VICE is that their reporters are not reporting, they're giving opinions and arguing with those they interview. This 'reporter' is doing just that: arguing, not reporting. He's decided which side he's on (whether it be right or wrong) and fought for it. That's NOT the job of a reporter. Shame on you, VICE.
I don't see a problem here. Shoot to kill policy has been effective, and a good thing. Poachers know this and take that risk as acceptable for their own benefit. Poachers should be shot and made an example of, simple as that. You can't have both the animals protected and the locals placated. I'll take dead poachers over happy villagers any day!
+Lets Play™ There is no evidence that they were innocent. The KWS has excellent reconnaissance and know what they're doing. Based on the account from that group of people shot in their legs, the KWS was doing aerial surveillance before the ground troops opened fire on them. The aerial team likely saw them doing something suspicious, like stalking or sneaking up on a herd of elephants. The KWS can't always prove to the rest of the world what they see and know, so they take care of business and shut up about it. KWS' silence and denial in certain instances does not mean they made a mistake and killed an innocent.
+Ironleg Is the prosecutor the one on the ground or in the sky doing reconnaissance? No. That is what the KWS rangers do. They are the ones in the field catching poachers. They know how poachers behave; how they act, stalk, sneak up on prey, how they disguise themselves to make it seem like they aren't poachers and the KWS can see right through it. The KWS experiences it every day. I would trust the judgement from these seasoned field rangers over what some paper pusher or armchair expert says. There is nothing besides a legal document that endows judges and lawyers greater authority than the agents in the field whose reported experiences are what forms a prosecution case to begin with. A judge's or jury's perception of evidence being read to them is never better than the perception of agents who were actually there on the ground and experienced it first hand. All a prosecutor does is take a field report, and add legal babble to it like icing on a cake. If the ranger can't be believed, why does his report somehow then become believable when it gets repeated through the mouth of a prosecutor? If an applicant does not seem to be honest or intelligent enough to trust him with making reasonable judgements out in the field, he should not be hired in the first place.
I hope you realise that the kws completely denied EVER firing on the may 18th protesters, while someone within the kws admitted to it secretly. That misinfo alone seems very shady. It's showing that the kws knew those protesters were innocent, and if not, still breaking their own rules and playing god.
They need to up their game on hiding the identity of that officer who came forward to confirm the shootings cause clearly he can be identified. But the end of this video really tells alot!
Nice to see Vice in my backyard .I'm from Meru Kenya originally. Away with the poachers! We have enough and fertile land to till and support our families. Poaching is for lazy bums out for a quick buck but with devastating long term effects to us all.
brainflash1 That's like as if the DEA found a cocaine stock, and you'd say "wow let's distribute it in market to bring the prices down. The Cartels will suffer from it". Genius.
Charles Fontenay discover magazine once wrote an article on doing this with rhino horns and no it isnt the same because coke is a drug and ivory is a luxury item used for things like jewelry and even dentures
The Kenya Wildlife Service has a 'shoot to kill' policy -- rangers aren't just armed, they're also authorized to kill any suspected poachers who enter Kenya's national parks.
WATCH NEXT: Inside Colombia's Temple of Lucifer - bit.ly/2mtBlGt
Fun Fact: I have a similar policy in regards to the mormons that knock on my door early Sunday morning.
what the kws do is right ? poor laws enable poachers to get away scot free
What can we do to help?
VICE
What are you suggesting, leaving the elephant die?
They tried education, they set borders for the park but people only think about the money. They kill elephant for personal gain
kill the human. protect the animals !!!
Vice this dude's life is on the line maybe take a second to cover his face better
so true I hate to say it but chances are he rip dued to this video smh unreal
@Sir Man Yes We can. We can access it almost from any part of our country.
With all due respect to VICE, i really miss how they used to build up a story and put all the pieces together. Quite frankly this is the shallowest way of examining the issue. Not once did i hear 'human wildlife conflict' or 'land politics' or the prevalence of firearms in Northern Kenya or all the other issues that affect the relationship between communities that live around national parks and wildlife reserves in Kenya. This does not excuse the alleged offenses of kidnapping and murder, but as per their new standard, VICE go for the sexy headline and actually miss the complex and gritty part of the story to appeal to their widening and diversifying viewership who take every video on this channel at face value without interrogating the systemic (and granted, harder to portray) issues.
Totally agree, VICE did not investigate the motives of killing or kidnapping. The reporter only trying to put all blame on the old fat guy.
I agree. Vice told a very simplistic narrative here. The journalist missed many crucial points.
let's all just appreciate how high quality bingo's comment was
(read it again)
thank you. as a kenyan this really irked me.
Well said. #gorillarape
VICE, blur the face more properly and the wedding ring! Very poor job at protecting that police officer!
Why does Vice always half ass the blurring of people's faces?
Because you recognize people by their faces and NOT from the back of their heads Duh!!
I am from Kenya and I can tell you for free that although KWS, Leakey and his team have played a vital role in the conservation of wildlife and fighting poachers, there are some rogue officers in the service as well but lets just say the government thinks the end justifies the means. Extrajudicial killings however are NOT acceptable. They should strike a balance between protecting our wildlife but also protecting human life.
Arming people gives them power and authority, that's why it's so important to check and recheck the guys you're putting in those groups. If they're going to so unforgiving in their approach of shoot first they should at least put up better barriers and markers to let people know they're entering an area where they could be shot.
@NEGUS MBARKA Leakey answered the questions honestly. why was the KWS targeting certain people, were they suspected poachers?
Feel ya there, bud.
An anti poacher group somehow wound up on my various feeds and recruits actively from all over.
I considered going but decided to try and get a better idea of the situation first.
Seems like a lot of poor locals trying to eat and few rich killers trying to sell. Im not willing to shoot a guy in his back yard for trying to feed his family.
Peace and love from Canmore, Alberta
@@MtnTow That truly is where the conundrum lies: How do you judge a man with hungry children, when a solution to his problem is a single desperate act? I challenge anyone to be subjected to the test, and see what side they come out on.
On the other hand: There are only so many elephant, rhino, gorilla, etc. left. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.
The root of the problem lies with the black market itself. Ancient Asian Medicine, with no scientific facts to support it, is what drives this loss and suffering. More money than sense. Gluttony, vanity, and GREED. Gorilla hands, elephant ivory, rhino horn, leopard testicles, or whatever. As long as there’s a market for these things, it will only become more lucrative as the supply dwindles. They won’t stop until they have killed the very last one of any species, because that one brings the biggest payday.
Anyone caught dealing in endangered species deserves a death sentence, IMOP. There’s plenty of humans on the planet. Very few of the endangered species left. We haven’t earned the right to be considered special. We’ve abused our apex status.
these guys carry guns and machetes if they swing/shoot you're well within your right to defend yourself they destroy species for nothing but chinese herbal medicine juju
that ending is fucking incredible...
*interview turns sour and Leakey starts getting agitated ignoring questions and claims*
"is there a human price to pay for human conversation?"
"of course there is.... idiot"
like a goddamn movie - props vice
good interviewer btw
No, not really. Very suggestive from the get go. Just because teary eyed Fatima says her Mohamed was a "business man" and SURELY no poacher don't mean shit. The music, the intonation, the line of questioning, all packed with an underlying sense of direction.
Trying to guide the viewer towards a specific opinion, instead of reporting factually.
And Vice missing the reality check at the end:
"Is there a human cost to poaching" - "Of course there is"
There always is when two armed parties with opposing interests meet.
Ever heard of Nagasaki?
Wow Goldencheese... I totally did not get that impression from the video at all. it is the job of journalist to tell the story of both sides. Obviously because of the world's support of it, the KWS's side of the story has been heard for over 20 years. I do not see how they reported anything that wasn't factual. I came out at the end of this with the same opinion I had before, that we definitely need to protect our wildlife not just for the sake of the animals but because the ivory trade funds terrorist groups. I also believe "shoot to kill policies" always lead to corruption and that the arresting of poachers is always the better outcome. Not only do you gain the ability to get information that may lead to more poachers, but it also takes the burden of killing someone off the shoulders of those who are protecting wildlife and places it correctly in the hands of the judicial systems.
If you believe in someone's guilt to the point you are willing to take their life, then you should have no issue proving that guilt in a court of law. If you want to execute him for that crime, I'm ok with that, but lets not turn our protectors, into killers because killing someone, regardless if you feel justified in doing so, eats at person soul and ultimately corrupts. Also, if you want to maintain credibility, maybe you don't compare this to Nagasaki.
I find it ironic how you say "vice missed the reality check at the end" when it seems you missed the reality check of the opposing viewpoints to your own beliefs and therefore classify them as not being factual yet you presented no proof to show they are lying. If you have no evidence to show they lied and Vice isn't showing any evidence that factually proves they are telling the truth then logically, the position only position to take is one that is open to these allegations yet skeptical of their credibility. Vice did a fair job of presenting it that way. Don't be scurred of opposing views, I promise ya, they'll only ever reaffirm your beliefs or prove them wrong, either way you'll be better for it.
no, more like sensationalism at its best. This documentary swept over a broad range of problems affecting kenya including a very quickly expanding human population, corruption at its highest in the judiciary system, human wildlife conflict which leads to animosty between local communities and inter-ethnic racism. They also did not have much show time with rangers in the area. Though I am not a massive fan of the Kenya Wildlife Service this kind of sensationalism "lets put someone crying in front of a camera" crap designed to pull heartstrings brings away from the fact that 10s of thousands of people die in Africa alone trying to protect wildlife that is quickly diminishing due to human ignorance and greed.
Exactly what I was thinking dude. It felt more like epic conversation involving Anthony Hopkins (the Oldtard in the video) and Jimmi Simpson (the interviewer) from WestWorld.
From Leakeys reaction it seems like he knows something about the disappearances, but I don't believe he was apart of it.
This doesn't take away from all the good the KWS done though
@NEGUS MBARKA wow it's 2019 and the amount of racism in your comment is disgusting!
Leakey answered the questions honestly. why was the KWS targeting certain people, were they suspected poachers? Probably. That wasn't explained
7.5 Billion Humans....
There is only one way to protect wildlife assets.
Thats by force unfortunately.
Holding hands and signing is nice, but that shit doesn't save wild animals lives.
Brandon Saunders singing*
Tell the journalists family that. What was his crime trying to find out the truth about a corrupt organization in his own country. Hey but fuck it right there's 7.5 billion people out there it's fine .I hope they close your funeral with that statement
What do they sign?
@@Itistabaccobro amen to dat 🙏 if anyone ever get a reincarnation, id like to see this man's live swapped with the kenyan journalist.
@@rrrigil on a pickle lol
The final scene is EXTREMELY edited if you listen closely to make the interview seem worse
"you are an idiot" God bless that man
How shady was that ending, just as he got to the point of the conversation the old guy just starting looking with the evilest look ever and starts calling him an idiot and admits that there is a human price like he dug up something that's not supposed to be dug up.
Charles Lostinique ikr he became so salty😂😂
well i mean obviously there is a human price to pay for animal conservation. they speak of KWS members killed every year in fire fights with poachers. (there was no mention of how many poachers were killed, nor does this expound upon the REASONS people poach ((likely: poverty, lack of education, lack of opportunity, and maybe just a straight up desire to feed their fucking family)) the question was meant to be provocative and if you dont analyze it then vice just takes you for a ride in whatever direction they want. The only conclusions that can be drawn from this video *IN MY OPINION* should be
1. KWS has a loose shoot to kill policy that, when in the hands of one or two irresponsible members, can likely cause death of innocent civilians.
2. Many members (whos specific backgrounds and sources of income are not well expressed) of local villages have gone missing, most seemingly without any thorough investigation.
what else can we draw from this? idk. i wish i knew.
Awesome intro for a Hollywood detective movie.
AS A REPORTER, YOUR JOB IS TO TELL THE "COMPLETE STORY" AND NOT TO TAKE SIDES. AND RIGHT AWAY YOU CAN TELL THE REPORTER IS EMOTIONALY INVESTED ON THE PEOPLE VS. KWS. HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE LOOKING AT THINGS FROM BOTH PARTYS PERSPECTIVE BUT IT WAS SLOPPY AND ONE SIDED PISS POOR EXCUSE FOR A DOCUMENTARY.LEAKY IS RIGHT ON TWO THINGS:1) NO HUMAN LIFE IS ABOVE NATURE.2) THAT REPORTER IS AN ABSOLUTE IDIOT.THE REPORTER IS NOT ONLY RUDE AND UNPROFESSIONAL, BUT ALSO COMPLETELY ONE SIDED. YOU CAN TELL HE IS OUT ON A WITCH HUNT, THIS IDIOT, BASING HIS STORY ON UNVERIFIED TESTIMONIES. AS A REPORTER, YOU HAVE TO BE OBJECTIVE ENOUGH TO LOOK AT BOTH SIDES. IN THIS DOCUMENTARY, HE ONLY ADVOCATED FOR THE PEOPLE WHO COULD HAVE BEEN ATTACKED BY ANY REBEL FORCE OR THUG GROUP (AND THERE ARE MANY IN AFRICA) UNDER THE DISGUISE OF KWS. I'M NOT SAYING KWS IS COMPLETELY INNOCENT, I'M SAYING THE NUMBERS COULD EASILY BE BLOWN UP BY UNSUBSTANTIATED REPORTS. PEOPLE KILL PEOPLE IN AFRICA ALL THE TIME, AND WHEN IN DOUBT, PIN THE BLAME ON THE KWS ALL THE TIME WHY DONT YOU.ALL I CAN SAY TO THE PIECE OF SHIT REPORTER WHO DID THIS PIECE IS DO YOUR FUCKING ASSIGNMENT AND NOT GET EMOTIONALLY INVESTED IN PEOPLES STORY YOU BUFFOON. YOURE ALL OVER THIS PIECE, YOUR HAND PRINTS ARE ALL OVER THIS DOCUMENTARY. Btw, if youre gonna ask the wife of the missing person, if her husband is a poacher, OF COURSE SHES GONNA SAY NO!
special forces thank you.
seeing that guy cry over his dead brother was so sad...
ElevatedLife801 🤣 just because he cried on camera it doesn’t mean he gets sympathy.His brother was a poacher and paid the price.
Interesting conflict coverage Vice. Can viewers get a RAW UNCUT version of the interview with Dr. Richard Leakey?
I cant believe I'm seeing this after 3 years, but thank you vice, our local media never talks about things like this. We as a poor country suffer under the leadership of our corrupt and ignorant leaders. Thank you for sharing this report.
This comment section is disgusting. Racism and Bigotry gets no one anywhere
Vice comment sections are always a cesspool. It gets old fast.
Stereotypes exist for a reason.
Actually it does.
Actually it doesn't.
You know something...FUCK YOU I'm white and we "white people" have plenty of
fucking issues and problems as well.....I'm man enough to admit my "white faults"
Face facts....there are DIFFERENT traits within these human types...and some of these
traits are totALLY fucked up.
Uhhhhh How about EXAMINING Africa?? Look how much senseless tribal retarded
butchering and violence goes on there...
Look at cities like Chicago and Baltimore in the US?
Coincidence? NO .........something about how we as groups are wired....
FUCKING DEAL With it and stop pretending we're all the "same"....fucking bullshit
Kenya is incredibly ethnically diverse, but also insanely segregated. The rangers in the parks usually belong to one local tribe. If this tribe has a feud with another they will take extreme action to win. Here we obviously see the Kenyan/Christian rangers abusing their power in an ethnic conflict. Muslims in parts of Kenya are heavily discriminated against.
just a reminder. that it has been less than 10 years since the last large ethnic conflict in Kenya.
Julian Kozłowski You know what's up 👍
You almost got it right. Some of the soldiers are from other parts of Kenya but most likely, majority are Christians and some of the soldiers and rangers carrying out the killings are Muslims. The problem is between Kenyan state and Muslim people and not Kenyan “Christians” vs Kenyan Muslims and the extrajudicial killings started recently, in the last 10 years. In daily relations in Kenya, religion is not even factor and there are no religious tensions at all in Kenya.
What we have is an increasingly criminal and predatory state. Democracy has ushered in more thuggery and criminality into the political system. Any criminal can contest and win power and criminals know only one way to solve problems.
The previous Kenyan president, Moi, was dictator, probably illiterate but he was a man with more decorum than the democratically elected criminals now governing the country.
Julian Kozłowski that is absolute bullshit. Rangers living in the park are community reservists who are drawn from the communities that live in the area. No one tribe makes up the rangers unless the area only has one tribe.
thank you. some of thes people have no clue what they are talking about. the rangers are drawn from local communities mostly. they know the lay of the land and every foxhole a poacher could hide in. this was a bs documentary
@Julian I would like to respect your opinion but you are talking out of your ass. first you invented a whole new conflict,'religious' that bs... as a Kenyan I know thats not true and it never crosses our mind especially in wildlife conservation. probably if it was al-shaabab then religion does play a big role, but in wildlife? thats just ignorant and absurd
good to see some protection for native wild life 10/10
when you see the name of your country and your heart beat increases
I first saw it as "Kanye's Wildlife Service" I was like wtf...
Let's appreciate the fact that people in these rural areas know English. There are people in the US that barely know it
I'm a kenyan, in kenya. Didn't even know this was going on till just now.
Welcome to the club. No different in America. There is a reason it's hidden or more importantly a reason you didn't know. Stop looking at your phone and create relationships and friendships with other people from other areas in your country.
That journalist literally looks like he has a dead cat on his head
He looks like he belongs in a psych ward
Kenya is brutal... What's worse is most of its citizens(mostly middle class) insist on portraying it as 1st world-ish. The facts are 40% unemployment rate and top 40 poorest nation on earth despite the fact that we have never been to war, we are not land-locked plus we got a decent literacy level.
Antony N. word, you spoke the truth!
We have the facts. Good. Whats the best way forward?
No doubt westerns are exploiting Kenya in some shady way for natural resources like minerals, systematically the economy of the Kenya has been kept poor.
Omkar Chandra its not just westerners but tribalist corrupt government which doesnt give a crap about northern half of country. They treat many tribes as second class citizens, sometimes they even consider the native tribes in north to be foreigner,
they have attempted to deport turkanas from kenya to South Sudan, the same goes with the native Somali tribes who they assume to be refugee from neighbouring somalia and refuse to give them citizenship even though there family has been nomads in kenya for centuries. Also same stories with borana tribes who they have attempted to remove them to ethiopia despite them living in kenya for hundreds of years if not thousands. They don't issue citizenships to the northerners so they dont even know sometimes which pokot/turkana nomad is actually from kenya or south sudan, so they just treat them as foreigners. And use that as an excuse to treat them like second class.
Alfonso chopi Civil servants should earn maximum of 5000 USD and minimum of 300 USD per month. Public and religious jobs are about bettering society not getting rich, how are Kenyans so comfortable with these leaders flaunting their wealth when people are literally starving to death?
Now this is why I watch Vice. Bringing light to the most edge stuff
this is shallow and bullshit reporting, no depth at all
??? Yall did a horrible job at hiding that dude's identity...
seems like the KWS cares more about animals than humans. they're pretty badass.
Remind me never to ask vice to cover up my identity. I'll just make sure to wear a mask
I don`t mind going harsh on illigal poachers, it`s either them or the animals go exctinct. Just make sure that innocents are not harmed and that the natives who live there are allowed to remain.
Amazing video! I love watching earth, discover and calm down...
these are the vice documentaries i live for
I'm all for it to save the animals!!
Vice I'm starting to like you again
Alec yeeeeah, i get that feeling from time to time too.....then they do some bullshit piece and I remember "oh, that's right...there will be a few good pieces swimming around in a sea of bullshit"
you have to plumb the depths to find decent content and you will be covered in bullshit when you're done. it can be a dangerous venture if you happen to not be inoculated against bullshit, I might add.....
bobsagget823 is a good example of a person not being inoculated against bullshit..... ignorance acts a bit like termites, so it's easy to see how far they've spread and how well they have dined. ;-)
Paul
i disliked this video... not for its subject. rather for the crappy reporting and ignorance or indifference to the situation as a whole
"They didnt give us any warnings... They started shooting upwards..."
That part of shooting upwards should be a prety clear indication of a warning if you ask me. :D
Tf and that mean you can shoot a crowd of people? Eh excuse me?
I am a kenyan. Vice paints a bad picture of the organization. Why can't people just keep away from the parks? Leave the animals alone and nothing will happen to you. Kws are very friendly and more than 100 times on my visits to parks, they have offered rangers and guides to escort me and show me around.
They are wonderful people doing a dangerous job, a lot of the poachers are armed like the military and a lot of the funds go into funding terrorists like al-shabaab. That is why i respect the job being done by the wonderful rangers who by their actions save wildlife and also cut funding to terror organizations.
How about some footage of elephants when they mourn their dead, instead of humans.
Humans don't face being wiped out.
vice keeps making documentaries and articles that do not have much do with investigation or neutral journalism anymore, what is important for vice is they get enough viewers and action
Hmmm, I like the idea of killing poachers tbh...I don't care what they look like who they are, i like it
Totally irrelevant statement.
Njörðr Torbjörn I agree as long as no innocents are killed as well
if i was out squirrel hunting and i didnt notice that my license had expired id be considered a poacher
Talk about a false equivalence, squirrel hunting with an expired license that you didn't even notice and going into a national park to kill a rhino or elephant for their ivory are not even fucking close.
Some of the people may have been innocent, but someone is killing those animals and I'd bet the guys who spend their lives in those parks trying to protect them have a bit of an idea who it is. I'd like to hear their side of the story since I'm guessing the truth is somewhere in the middle as usual.
yea, but what about innocent people who are mistaken to be poachers?
Why didn't you interview the executive/operational authorities rather than the chairman of the board... His point about the chairmen not having hands-on insights into the day-to-day operations or authority to change those operations is totally valid.
The ignorance of some of the people commenting is astounding. Yes the KWS is doing an honorable service, but it doesn't mean that since they're doing that service, that they're allowed to also do whatever the hell they want. You can appreciate an organization and also understand that they have limits and aren't above the law. I hope some of these commenters seriously have produced offspring. We have enough cancer in the world.
Trump is president, so cancer already won this war. Hope more people like you can survive for future generations.
It my country kenya. I love it. Do not enter the parks simple
KURIA NJUGUNA simple and effective answer.These idiots don’t get the simple answer 🤦♂️
Dude! I live near a forest. School going kids are raped, killed or infected with aids in the name of conservation. It's easier for you to say in a distance while ignoring the corruption and ignorance in the country. The rangers are compensated for arresting or killing people.
OK, I get the shooting innocent protestors was wrong and immoral by a fuck ton of humanity.
But, how the fuck can you devise a mentality of pure innocence for the kidnapped men as if they were not poachers?
I think KWS is right on this one and Leakey was on point with *"of course there is......IDIOT"* at the end.
How do you know they were poachers. Did you know them? that's also not the only crimes they committed (conventionally glossing over firing into protesters).
Beside its not part of their mandate to go into villages, their job is to protect the reserve not enter villages.
Thank you for sharing this story. Where is the donation page for the Kenya Wildlife Service?
What a terrible job of hiding that man's identity
Oh man .... Vice journalists have to endure all the shit from this god forsaken world , i have seen so many videos of vice journalists being treated like shit from the worst kind of people. I get it , poaching is bad , very bad but people shouldn't get hurt , killed , they should be taught what is wrong or bad. Thanks VICE , amazing work and documentaries !
The KWS should be able to act with impunity in the name of conservation. A handful of disappearances among the culture that created the need for the KWS is nothing in comparison to the greater scheme of things. To be concerned is ridiculous. Furthermore attempting to pin the blame of these unfortunate situations on an old man who's been out of the game is disgusting.
5yrs later this is too true. The damage done to the environment is more concerning than someone who disappears.
So many commenters are missing the point: Shoot to kill is not the problem presented here, the problem is that KWS are overstepping their boundaries without being held accountable by operating outside of national parks.
When Alex jones said that vice had been bought out by hbo you can see how one sided the videos have become
Exactly
Well said
I'm Kenyan and I believe these are narratives that Kenyans should be telling, instead of relying on Western gonzo media.Keep up Vice, one day we'll be able to tell our stories just like this.
You didnt go around the topic of why the Rangers would kidnap
Gay sex
This was a great investigation. One thing that the reporters failed to report is that in every village around national parks, you can find small game poachers. Meat is hard to come by in rural Africa, so going in the park to hunt for monkeys, bush chicken or antelope is the standard. Those small game animals reproduce by the thousands so their survival is not endangered. Seriously, in any country you go, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, tiny villages have those small game poachers. Very few will go for the big animals like elephant or rhino.
I guess the KWS just want to kill everyone who even think of poaching
Idea. Don't wanna get killed don't go in the conservation where you shouldn't be in the first place.
Those people live there idiot
Mohammad knew it was KWS but he isn't a poacher. Lol
he organised a protest against the KWS
I can recognize the police but I’m not a criminal ..
This comments section is full of single minded views that reflect no debate. You want to create actual change in the world ?
Then reasonable debate from people who understand issues is the only way forward. I do not claim to know much about this topic but a as a British Kenyan I feel I understand more about the culture and influence in this part of the world than most in this comment section.Before you start to label and make wild claims, try and understand the people who live there.
The majority of Kenya's economy come's through agriculture, so what happens in a particularly harsh season such as a drought ?? Something that people of the western world probably do not understand since you can walk to a supermarket and afford food from the state funding the most disadvantaged and poor receive.
You try to receive this help in a third world country filled with corruption, bureaucracy and tribal conflict on a political level ! Which in turn isolates communities and families (rather large as I know) this means in some cases poaching might be the only means of a food source or income. Yes other animals like Elephants and Rhino are hunted by locals, meaning they to become branded and treated in the same way as poachers.
Before I went on and rambled into an essay the point of this is to highlight, to not be, so FUCKING narrow mined. Stop brandishing people with basic labels, just so you can feel that you understand a complex problem presented to you in a FUCKING 21 minute video that goes into no detail about the nuances of a topic. There are people who study issues like this and don't have a successful answer (my father) so stop being CUNTS.
D Davey so it’s okay for the poachers to go in the reserve hunt down the rhino and shoot it and take the horn off. But like u said they are very poor people so a majority of poachers can not afford guns and ammo. So these low life piece of shits hunt the rhinos and they start hacking at there face has they are screaming in pain and terror because they don’t have good eyesight and the babies are screaming for there mothers. And they hack off half the face and they are still alive and dying slowly while there babies are trying to get comfort from there mother. And the elephants are poisoned, shot but alive and they hack into there face to remove the tusk. I have been hungry and homeless and no we don’t all get free food or help in America. You are on ur own if u r single with no kids. And I live In the city, there is no where to go fishing or hunting for small animals to eat. At least in Africa you can live off the land. Like every other villager in Africa. You can farm and grow food. One key thing I would kill to eat the animal. The piece of shits take the horn and waste the rest. And u let them roam for days to die slowly. And then there babies die a slow death from no food or water. Evil is in Africa and I applaud the shoot to kill policy and the capture of people who poached a animal and was tracked down and taken to pay for the crime. It’s murder. No animal deserves to die like that. We have our rules in America in parts of the country u can hunt deer, bear and small creatures. And fish. Certain times of the year and cannot kill females and babies, only males and can only kill a certain amount a year. You have to use all the parts of the animal except the bowels and stomach. We do not have any extinct animals we hunt and eat.
I personally think it is absurd for those tusks to be burned. Not to mention for all we know, this will were tusks from elephants which died naturally and they have just been collecting them over the decades, as they had stated the collection was from, and used the excuse of poaching to kill off other tribes they were against due to the mixing of Muslim culture into their area and families.
This was much like the ivory being chipped in a wood chipper in New York years ago, except the ivory that was chipped up were carvings and statues and rare art of antiquity and different dynasties. They destroyed thw world's heritage.
And so they burned the ivory. And regardless of how their death occurred, they are sending a clear message they honor the idea of conservation....but just don't value the animals and the products that come from them at the same time. It can't be that way. I'm quite sure any foreigner would rather they have used the ivory tusks to make small trinkets or sculptures or jewelry etc, and raised money for the communities around the park, or fuck, even the national park itself....that would have been much more respectful than burning the ivory. No matter what bs story they tried to attach to the tusks
I suppose it's a small thing, but I was touched when that correspondent gave the brother-of-the-disappeared a hug when he was bereft at the loss of his brother. I see times in interviews all the time where that would be appropriate, but I imagine the producer is like 'get them crying! get them despondent!' and they don't just do what a good fellow human should do and give a brother a hug. That hug makes up for that distractingly wild hair style the correspondent had during that final Leaky interview.
Job requirements for a VICE correspondent:
1) Must have a shit haircut.
2) ...
Great reporting. It's sad that this is happening in our beloved country. I hope we can conserve both human and wildlife
Oh my god, why did I scroll down to the comments section? Please, hear me out, do not go there, it's filled with uninformed racist, hateful comments.
This is horrid, I hope that family got justice :(
Leakey: "No, I don't have that power..."
_later_
Reporter: "what changed?"
Leakey: "I came back"
.....so, Leakey claims to not have the power to look into any of these claims and he feels he didn't get adequate evidence suggesting they even happened as the villagers said it did...yet he concedes that similar events have taken place to his knowledge and that he, somehow, has the power to make sure they will happen less and less (meaning: they will still happen, just not as often).
seems we have an issue here. either Leakey *has the power to stop these acts from happening like he claim*, in which case, he would *also have the power to prosecute those involved*....or Leakey *doesn't have the power to stop this*, as he also claims, and *his words about these crimes slowing or ending are worthless*. which is it?
Leakey acknowledges a sense of impunity within the KWS in the past...which would be him hinting at that being the issue....then he claims that his return and his new appointments changed everything, as if a changing of the guard is somehow the equivalent to a criminal investigation and criminal charges.
imagine any other organization acting like this: it's founded and has an extreme 'kill on sight' policy...the founder leaves and the organization begins acting like a paramilitary secret police force...the founder returns, makes an 'upper management' change, then claims that he 'cant help the victims nor does he intent to get them justice but dont worry, it wont happen as often now that he is back'...
Leakey a would have to lack all semblance of self awareness if he honestly doesn't understand the serious nature of the controversy around the KWS and, thus, himself. even if he isn't involved, letting this go and doing nothing is also a near criminal action and could lead to more of this kind of behavior as those involved know there is no real repercussions for their actions.
he may have the power to do what he can regarding ranger behaviour, but investigations murder and kidnappings are a police matter
Powerful film. Human rights abuse in the name of conservation - much of it targeting tribal peoples - is shockingly common around the world. People interested in the issue are invited to join Survival International's campaign: www.survivalinternational.org/petitions/tribal-people-the-best-conservationists
Would make a great Far Cry setting
it already did :) Far cry 2
and it did
Nope that's central Africa. Do your research
THE REPORTER DIDN'T ASK VILLAGERS A SINGLE QUESTION ABOUT WHETHEER OR NOT THEY SUPPORT POACHING....THAT'S SHADY REPORTING
Burning all that ivory just feels wrong in some way...
it means the death of those elephants will not help sustain organized murder of their kind ... its the best you can do.
seem like stupid plan , will it not make ivory even more demanded and therefore expensive?
but every tom dick and harry will think it's ok to kill elephants to get ivory and sell them for a few bucks.Hope your kid's kids get to see an elephant in the wild someday
What do you suggest glue it back?
It's like when they crushed very beautiful hand carved ivory in New York.
Some people spent hundreds of hours carving shit just for it to be crushed and the prices were astronomical.
I believe they should have put it all in a museum along with a bunch of information about them going extinct and why you shouldn't purchase it
After seeing this, I believe that KWS and the killings are a matter of stress and frustration for the KWS, I personally think that its admiring that men are willing to die protecting animals. And a human price is to be paid.
You sound futuristic and science fiction fanatic.
that fact that he's refusing to answer questions clearly means that he knows something that he doesn't want the press to get a hold of thus proving many of his points earlier invalid.
Why does this dude forever sound so mellow and kicked
Richard Leakey is a Kenyan legend
IN GOD WE TRUST as long as poachers die, we are good. I've seen many animals die and it needs to die
fuck Richard Leakey....he thinks we still live under British colony..fuck him..legend ni mimi
Richard Leakey ni mshenzi
+IN GOD WE TRUST
So what's your limit? How many times will you let someone pester you with the same stupid question before you tell them to fuck off?
he lives in turkana county in a desert surrounded by wildlife with hes aircrafts armed and a shoot to kill order from the govt
"Salad was shot in his right leg" what a great name
The name is actually pronounced salaad
"acceptable price"? Why target a animal conservation force and ask them this inane question? Does everyone feel good about themselves after reporting on these "atrocities", all the while wearing clothing made most likely from sweatshops, using digital equipment with components sourced from war torn countries. To think you're doing god's work of journalism by questioning an animal conservation force that takes hardline approach vs. poaching is going to make you look somehow positive is utterly disconnected from reality, especially given the sort of focus this video went for. There's going to be a human cost in any product and services. What's next? The horrible truth of the human cost of being born! Is existence harmful to other people? Join VICE as we find out if being born and living is without human suffering of others in one way or another!
Africa open your eyes, as Bob Marley said " don't let the system make you kill your own brother "
I see a lot of comments where people support the killing of poachers and I see why that stance can sound appealing, however i think the entire point of this story shows, that no matter the nobility of your "cause" when you feel you have the right to take someone's life then it will ultimately lead to corruption. I'm not saying I have an answer cause of course i want to see the poaching stop, not just because of the animal right issue but also because this ivory trade funds terrorist groups like boko haram. However a "shoot to kill" policy is not the way to go about it.
Anyone who thinks that its ok to shoot poachers, realize you do so because you believe that the killing of protected animals is morally and ethically wrong. However in the Philippines right now Duterte and his supporters think the same thing about drugs and have killed over 7000 people in their shoot to kill policy. Most of you who think killing poachers is ok probably think that killing people for drugs is not, however you have to understand that the true issue with both policies is you are killing individuals without due process.
Idk how you can apprehend poachers while keeping those who protect the animals safe, obviously disarming them would put the poachers at an advantage and I'm not naive enough to think that is acceptable, but there has to be other options. The goal should be arresting poachers, not killing them. If you want to execute them after a trial has proved their guilt, I'm ok with that, but you can't bring someone back from the dead and regardless of intent, obviously people have died who had nothing to do with poaching.
way too many humans on the planet anyway. this place would be better with fewer of us on it.
I think what Duterte is doing is great. I was in Philippines not too long ago visiting friends who let me know I could walk anywhere at any time because of what Duterte was doing who they had democratically elected. They said before Duterte they would have to have their men personally escort their women everywhere, especially at night as rapes were common. Now not so much. America does not have a shoot to kill policy with drug dealings. How has that been working out?
Its the policy my dear
I love vice reporters...They save the tough questions until the end...And then go in for the kill.
I completely understand why people say in the comments that the poachers should be killed, but these people are just looking for money. It's a horrible way to make it but they're just trying to make a living. Most of them probably have families that depend on what small income they do make. The unemployment in Kenya is completely outrageous so I can understand why they do what they do. I'm in no way excusing their actions they re completely disgusting I just think that people should show a little compassion. Hating them won't stop anything and it just adds to the grotesque amount of negativity in the world. There's better ways to discuss ways to fix this in my opinion. I wish the best for the families in this video and especially to Muhammad's wife, and to the poachers in hope that they find a better path
wow this guy's the best! best vice doc in EVER
Very interesting video, I never would have questioned that the kws would have been corrupt. Im sure not all of them are corrupt but it gives a bad image for the group.
Baiiooo...please follow up on the kws..check out dwst videos
i feel like you should have concealed the KWS officer a little bit better than you did
SUPER fucked up... thank you VICE for reporting. God protect those who cannot help themselves.
That investigative journalism is bloody brilliant. You collected all the evidence including that from the culprits (KWS), and confronted the leaders and KWS chairman with hard facts. No wonder Leakey lost his cool when it became apparent that there is a Human Life to Pay for Wildlife Conservation in Kenya. That's a shame.
Yea right god bles the reporter. He is going to save the elephants and all the wild life there.
I support KWS....this animals contribute to our economy more than some lazy Citizens
Hahahaaa,uuuuwi!!
When Richard Leakey tells you to piss off...damn, Vice.
Well done give the impression that its all corrupt . These anti-poachers do a great job in seriously difficult circumstances .
3:48 that fucking neck. damn son
This report is completey one sided and biased, typical Vice political correctness propaganda.
How about you guys do some ACTUAL journalism for once?
For example:
- The targeted community appears to be muslim. There is a long standing conflict between muslims and the Kenyan state, fueled through the war in neighboring Somalia. Ever thought about investigating into this?
- Also did it ever cross your mind that these communities might actually provide sanctuary to poachers? And that the animosity which the KWS has towards those people might be somewhat understandable?
Nfd is Somali land
You voted for Trump, clearly. So your comment is not valid.
Try again in your next life
Dude there is no religious wars here so piss to
The inherent problem with VICE is that their reporters are not reporting, they're giving opinions and arguing with those they interview. This 'reporter' is doing just that: arguing, not reporting. He's decided which side he's on (whether it be right or wrong) and fought for it. That's NOT the job of a reporter. Shame on you, VICE.
Last time I was this early I paid her and said thanks just like I always do.
This kinda documentary makes it worth subbing.
I don't see a problem here. Shoot to kill policy has been effective, and a good thing. Poachers know this and take that risk as acceptable for their own benefit. Poachers should be shot and made an example of, simple as that. You can't have both the animals protected and the locals placated. I'll take dead poachers over happy villagers any day!
So you're going to magically, "conveniently" gloss over the fact people are dying and going missing. Sorry mate, you're kind of a fuckwit
Evan did not watch this video and is only here to bring his gland ideas. This whole video isn't even about shoot to kill policy.
+Lets Play™
There is no evidence that they were innocent. The KWS has excellent reconnaissance and know what they're doing. Based on the account from that group of people shot in their legs, the KWS was doing aerial surveillance before the ground troops opened fire on them. The aerial team likely saw them doing something suspicious, like stalking or sneaking up on a herd of elephants. The KWS can't always prove to the rest of the world what they see and know, so they take care of business and shut up about it. KWS' silence and denial in certain instances does not mean they made a mistake and killed an innocent.
+Ironleg
Is the prosecutor the one on the ground or in the sky doing reconnaissance? No. That is what the KWS rangers do. They are the ones in the field catching poachers. They know how poachers behave; how they act, stalk, sneak up on prey, how they disguise themselves to make it seem like they aren't poachers and the KWS can see right through it. The KWS experiences it every day. I would trust the judgement from these seasoned field rangers over what some paper pusher or armchair expert says. There is nothing besides a legal document that endows judges and lawyers greater authority than the agents in the field whose reported experiences are what forms a prosecution case to begin with. A judge's or jury's perception of evidence being read to them is never better than the perception of agents who were actually there on the ground and experienced it first hand. All a prosecutor does is take a field report, and add legal babble to it like icing on a cake. If the ranger can't be believed, why does his report somehow then become believable when it gets repeated through the mouth of a prosecutor? If an applicant does not seem to be honest or intelligent enough to trust him with making reasonable judgements out in the field, he should not be hired in the first place.
I hope you realise that the kws completely denied EVER firing on the may 18th protesters, while someone within the kws admitted to it secretly. That misinfo alone seems very shady. It's showing that the kws knew those protesters were innocent, and if not, still breaking their own rules and playing god.
"Of course there is you idiot" that sent chills down my spine
i support the kws fully . i hate vice for showing them in a bad light
They need to up their game on hiding the identity of that officer who came forward to confirm the shootings cause clearly he can be identified.
But the end of this video really tells alot!
"Piss off" mate
I agree with the chairman though. The reporter went too far trying to shove things beyond his responsibility down the chairman's throat.
Nice to see Vice in my backyard .I'm from Meru Kenya originally. Away with the poachers! We have enough and fertile land to till and support our families. Poaching is for lazy bums out for a quick buck but with devastating long term effects to us all.
Vice please do a documentary on the white genocide going on in South Africa
kibb Kibbie that was 2007
+johnniedehuff South Africa and Kenya are 2 different countries, dipshit. Let me guess, you're an American?
lmao its Africa , he thinks white people will get first dibs in Africa lol
anthony u do realize white people make a huge part of Africa
kibb Kibbie Rhodesia
vice should do a doco on themselves about 'how responsible is vice for the deaths of its informants'
If the chairman of the Kenya Wildlife Service was BLACK, Vice wouldn't even have made this.
I listened to a BBC radio documentary about a similar 'shoot-to-kill' policy in Indian national parks against suspected poachers
Don't fucking burn the tusks, give them out for free to drive prices down. People won't poach if they can't make money.
brainflash1 You have no idea how many problems that would cause, e.g a local gang taking and stockpiling the ivory. Think before you comment tosh.
brainflash1
But China demand is too strong
brainflash1 That's like as if the DEA found a cocaine stock, and you'd say "wow let's distribute it in market to bring the prices down. The Cartels will suffer from it". Genius.
Charles Fontenay discover magazine once wrote an article on doing this with rhino horns and no it isnt the same because coke is a drug and ivory is a luxury item used for things like jewelry and even dentures
Logan A but it is also believed to cure cancer and detoxify
MAY GOD BLESS KENYA